Telling the Schechter Family (my mom's side)

The news is out!!  Finally!  And PHEW, its been a long few weeks of keeping this (mostly) secret.

We traveled to southern California this past weekend to celebrate Easter with my family.  When we found out I was pregnant we knew that this would be the perfect weekend to tell my family.  I am 13 weeks now, one week from the Second Trimester and at a great place to share the news.  A few weeks ago I was shopping used classic childrens books for a friend's baby shower and came across a Berenstain Bears book, "A Day with Grandma."  I bought the book and wrapped it with a picture of the UltraSound taken two weeks ago to give to my mom this past weekend.  The video below shows her (and the family's) priceless reaction.

There IS a baby in there!

Yesterday Judd and I got to see Peanut for the first time!!  This optional ultrasound (why would I say no?!) was done at 11 weeks.  Typically the midwives don't do an early ultrasound (which usually happens at 8 or so week), so I was later in having this one done.  I am really excited that we waited because rather than seeing a blob as I expected, there was obviously a baby in there!!  The technician said his/her hands were pretty much fully developed!  They were moving around and he was so active, jumping constantly!  It was crazy surreal.  Judd said that for the rest of the day he kept thinking about Psalm 139: 13 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."  God is knitting little peanut together as I write this!  Its so incredibly crazy how two cells join and everything comes out of that.  It only makes sense that God has breathed life into this baby because its all too miraculous.  Wow. 

Up until this point I have really been having a hard time believing this is all real.  Sure I have been pretty confident it has been (especially after hearing the heartbeat), but its so hard to believe something is going on when you haven't seen anything tangible.  It definitely doesn't help the cause when we have been so careful to limit who we tell.  This weekend marks to beginning of telling people (phew!!).  Next weekend we are going to California for Easter and will tell my family.  We told Judd's parents that next Saturday is a free for all and they can tell anyone and everyone and can feel free to post all-over facebook :)  

Hearing the Heartbeat!

Letter from Laura this morning!

Today was my first doctors appointment!  I have decided to go with the Boulder Nurse-Midwives and could not be more pleased.  From women I know and trust who have gone through them as well as everything I have read, I definitely believe midwives are the path for me.  The amazing thing about the BNW is that they are across the street from the hospital, are closely connected and you deliver in the hospital.  I really don't like going to the doctors and prefer to stay out of their offices as much as possible.  I love that the BNW office is not at the hospital, but they are there when and if you need them.

Ok so now back to the first appointment that Judd joined me at.  This morning we met Kala who is extremely nice and sat with us and asked questions/ answered ours for about 45 minutes.  Since I am only a few days into nine weeks so expressed some concern that we may not hear the babies heartbeat (typically 9 weeks is the earliest you can).  After about five minutes of trying so found it!!!!  We got to hear the quick beating of peanut for about 20 seconds and it was incredible.  So crazy!  Up until this morning I have been a little scared that today they would not find anything and tell me that I am not pregnant (haha).  After hearing the heartbeat though, I realize that this is definitely real.

There was no ultrasound at this appointment, but we scheduled one "for dating" (although its really because I want to see peanut :)  in two weeks.  This way we will have a picture to take down to Southern California with us when we tell my family at Easter!

Oh yes, I cannot forget that I had blood drawn. Yuck. I seriously hate needles so much.  I tried to be brave, and actually was not as nervous as normal because I was so excited after hearing the heartbeat, but nonetheless it was not pleasant.  I did have the most amazing nurse, however, so for getting blood drawn, this was a pretty good experience.  The nurse kept me nice and distracted as she drew enough blood to fill 5 vials.  I had no idea until she was done and I looked down at the table, ha.  She said I was starting to turn a little white in the process.  Oh well, at least that part is over.  I think I will have to do this one more time, not to mention other, much more painful things to come....  Until then, so excited to hear your sweet, cute little heartbeat peanut!!

Morning Sickness

Judd and I in Mexico last week!

I am eight weeks pregnant as of yesterday.  Up until five days ago I thought I was going to get away with very mild morning sickness.  I was wrong.  The last few days have marked the beginning of me actually feeling pregnant, (up until this point my mild symptoms could have almost passed as in my head).

This is not what I was expecting, and carrying on like normal has been much harder than I expected.  Up until the last few days I have been keeping a very good and steady workout schedule at the Y, going to a variety of cardio, weight lifting and yoga classes.  The last few days I have not wanted to do any of it, and I haven't.

I think the biggest battle right now is that I feel like my stomach is the size of a grape.  I truly cannot eat more than a few spoonfuls of yogurt without feeling completely stuffed and bloated.  Yuck.  And I love food.  The nausea comes every day now, but luckily sticks to the morning and lasts only a few hours.  This morning when I was feeling particularly horrible, my coworker posted a BBQ menu in the office that he wanted us to look at.  I could hardly read the words from where I was sitting, but even just seeing the words BBQ made me fight back gag reflexes.  Ugh.  Oh well.

I know that in the midst of feeling sick and completely not myself, I am joyful that these signs all point to the fact that I am indeed healthily pregnant.  My first doctors appointment at Boulder Nurse Midwives is in a week!!  At this appointment I will have an ultrasound and also see/hear the babies heartbeat!!  I pray everything is well and peanut is healthy!  Exciting news to come!

Hung-over without the fun of drinking

We spent this past weekend up in Estes Park celebrating with friends of ours, Pat & Joelle at their beautiful wedding.  I cannot be more excited for these two to get married.  A number of college friends came back into town for the weekend and we all had such a blast between the wedding festivities and sharing a few cabins up in the mountains.  I loooooove this group of friends more than anything and cannot believe how blessed I have been with community in Colorado.  I hope that this picture (that sadly does not even include everyone) can convey a little about how wonderful this group is.

I am about six weeks now and starting to experience the unpleasantness of "morning sickness."  It's not so bad yet, mostly just an upset stomach that comes and goes throughout the day.  Up until  now I thought this stomach stuff was mostly in my head, but as of today I think its a degree of the real thing.  I knew it started when this morning I felt hung-over, even though I definitely did not drink anything last night.  Speaking of drinking last night...trying to subtly avoid alcohol for two days surrounded by friends who definitely love beer as much as I do was something that may not have gone unnoticed.  Oh well...hopefully the next few weeks will fly by and we can spill the beans before too many people suspect.

This week Judd and I join his parents and sister Hope on a dive-trip near Cancun!!  Although I won't be diving, I am soooo excited for warm weather and a beach!!  This winter is dragging on and I am tired of it being dark, cold and snowy everywhere.  Thankfully we are telling Judd's parents and sister, because I do not think I could make up plausible excuses for passing up margaritas the entire time.  Will post beach pictures when we get back!

Peanut = Little Nutting!

Oh my goodness.....I have wanted to be able to say this for quite some time now...I'M PREGNANT!!!  Woo-hooo!!!  I have always known I wanted lots of kids but have always had milestones I wanted to cross first (like graduate school!) before truly letting myself catch "baby fever."  I graduated with my Masters in Architecture last May and almost immediately started to have baby on the mind.  After a few months of seriously figuring out if this is really what we want right now, Judd and I decided to start trying.

For some reason I was very skeptical that I would be able to get pregnant.  It just seemed too good to be true.  I was mostly worried that I would find out that, (like many women whose hearts I break for) infertility was going to be something I would struggle with.  HUGE sigh of relief when I found out I was pregnant less than a week ago.  I definitely did NOT think I was pregnant.  I was not showing any of the normal signs that women talk about - no sore boobs, not fatigued, not peeing a lot.  (Although I did up my water intake so that I would pee more and let myself think it was possibly because I was pregnant! ha).  I was so convinced that I was not pregnant so I waited until I was definitely late to take the test.  Sure enough, it was positive.

Now I get to finally indulge in ALL of the EXCITEMENT that I have been anticipating for months!!!  I love babies, I can't wait to be a mom and I just think pregnant women are the most beautiful things in the world.  I have always loved reading pregnancy blogs, so I always vowed that I would write one myself.  Judd and I have also set-up an email address for "peanut" (little Nutting :-) that we are going to occasionally write to until he/she is old enough to access it him/herself.

The fun thing about this blog is that I am going to keep it secret until the word is out, after we tell my family at Easter, 9 WEEKS AWAY!!!  I don't know how I am going to make it that long...